An alternative they don't know about puts no pressure on them.
Plan B: Walk-Away Power, Said Out Loud - Calmly
Plan B is naming your real alternative - calmly, as a fact, never as a threat: "I appreciate the clarity. I do have another offer I'd want to give a serious answer to." Negotiation theory calls the alternative your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement); the technique is the part theory skips - actually putting it in the room without blowing the deal up.
An alternative they don't know about exerts no pressure. One delivered as an ultimatum ("match it or I walk") forces them to either capitulate or call the bluff - both bad. The calm middle is the move: state the alternative, attach no demand, and let them decide what it's worth. They move, or they let you go. Both outcomes beat negotiating without leverage.
The one-line version
When to use it
Bring Plan B out when positions have stopped moving - at "final offer," "that's the policy," "the rent is the rent." Positions like these hold because the other side believes you have nowhere else to go. The alternative, stated without heat, corrects the belief and re-prices the standoff in one sentence.
It matters most when your alternative is real and time-boxed: another offer with a deadline, a comparable bid in hand, a competitor quote on better terms. The deadline explains why you're raising it now (courtesy, not pressure) and puts a clock on their decision without you ever issuing an ultimatum.
When NOT to use it
Never invoke a Plan B you don't have. A phantom competing offer is one of the highest-stakes bluffs in negotiation: "great, congratulations on the other role" ends the conversation, and getting caught fabricating one ends your credibility everywhere. If your real alternative is weak, build it before the negotiation - that's preparation, not tactics.
And don't lead with it. Plan B played as an opener reads as hostility and skips the cheaper moves (mirrors, labels, anchors) that might get you there without spending leverage. The alternative is the closer, not the greeting.
Worked examples
Salary negotiation. They just drew a hard line at $52K. You have a competing offer at $58K from another company that needs your answer by Friday. Plan B = your real alternative.
Why this works: 'I appreciate the clarity' before the alternative is what keeps it from landing as a threat - the recruiter hears respect, then hears the clock, and 'final' offers tend to find flexibility on a clock.
Component sourcing. Supplier won't budge on net-30. You have a competing supplier quote with net-60 terms in hand. Disclose calmly.
Why this works: A quoted competitor on better terms is the cleanest Plan B in B2B - verifiable, unemotional, and the supplier's next move ('let me see what I can do') is almost scripted.
Freelance project negotiation. The client is asking you to drop your rate. Your pipeline is full at your standard rate - you don't need this gig. Disclose without arrogance.
Why this works: For freelancers, 'other clients booked at my standard rate' reframes the rate from a wish into an opportunity cost - the client stops haggling your number and starts bidding against your calendar.
Try it against someone who pushes back
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Common mistakes
- Bluffing an alternative you don't have. The downside is unbounded; build a real Plan B before the talk instead.
- Delivering it as an ultimatum. 'Match it or I walk' forces a corner; a calm fact leaves them room to move toward you.
- Leading with it. Spend the cheap moves first - Plan B is the closer.
- Over-detailing the alternative. Specifics invite comparison-shopping your offer; 'another offer I'd want to answer seriously' is enough.
- Naming it and then immediately conceding. If you blink first after raising the alternative, you've taught them it was a bluff - even if it wasn't.
Questions people ask
What exactly is a BATNA?
Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement - what you'll actually do if this deal doesn't happen. It comes from Getting to Yes (Fisher & Ury). Your BATNA sets your true walk-away point: any deal worse than your alternative is a deal you shouldn't take, which is why knowing it changes how you negotiate even before you mention it.
Should I tell them what my other offer actually is?
Usually not the number. The existence and the deadline carry the leverage; the specifics invite them to nitpick the comparison ('but our equity is better'). Reveal details only when the alternative is so strong that the comparison itself does your negotiating.
What if they say 'congratulations, take the other offer'?
Then you've learned the deal had no more room - information worth having BEFORE you committed. If your alternative was real, you're fine: that's the 'they release you' win. This is exactly why the technique requires a real Plan B; the calm only holds when you can mean it.
How do I get walk-away power when I don't have another offer?
Build the credible beginnings of one: active interviews, a comparable quote, a researched market rate you could test. Even 'I'd want to weigh this against continuing my search' is calm walk-away framing you can stand behind. The weakest move is pretending - the second weakest is negotiating as if no alternative could ever exist.
See it in a live negotiation
Related techniques
Drill it until it's a reflex
Drill Plan B against a recruiter who calls bluffsFree scenario · sign up in under a minute · learn the calm before you need it